JUNE 3
Now that
almost a quarter of a century has passed since the once powerful nation of
Israel divided into two kingdoms, the character of ^ V/each becomes
fairly set for the remaining three-quarters of a century. Judah, blessed with
two good leaders in Asa and his son Jehoshaphat, will remain largely faithful
to God. Both men will bring about reforms in Judah and reinstate appreciation
for the law.
In Israel, by contrast, none of the next seven kings will bring moral enlightenment to an idolatrous nation, and civil war will continue to divide God's people. It is a sober reminder that God's people will, through the ages, face division and strife when they forsake their God.
In
Judah .,
PEACE UNDER ASA. 2Chron.14:1b [1Kgs. 15:8b-10 ]
Asa his son succeeded him as king, and in his
days the country was at peace for ten years.
ASA REFORMS JUDAH, 2Chron. 14:2-5 [1 Kgs. 15:11]
Asa did what was good and right in the eyes of the lord his God. He removed the foreign altars and the high places, smashed the sacred stones and cut down the A she rah poles. He commanded Judah to seek the lord, the God of their fathers, and to obey his laws and commands. He removed the high places and incense altars in every town in Judah, and the kingdom was at peace under him.
ASA
REFORTIFIES JUDAH.
2Chron. 14:6-8
He built up the fortified cities of Judah, since the land was at peace. No one was at war with him during those years, for the lord gave him rest,
"Let us build up these towns," he said to Judah, "and put walls around them, with towers, gates and bars. The land is still ours, because we have sought the lord our God; we sought him and he has given us rest on every side." So they built and prospered.
Asa had an army of three hundred thousand men from Judah, equipped with large shields and with spears, and two hundred and eighty thousand from Benjamin, armed with small shields and with bows. All these were brave fighting men.
JEROBOAM
DIES. 1Kgs.
14:19,20a
[2 Chron. 13:20b ]
The
other events of Jeroboam's reign, his wars and how he ruled, are written in the
book of the annals of the kings of Israel. He reigned for twenty-two years and
then rested with his fathers.
NADAB
KING OF ISRAEL. 1Kgs. 14:20b 15:25
And Nadab his son succeeded him as king.
Nadab son of Jeroboam became king of Israel in the second year of Asa king of
Judah, and he reigned over Israel two years.
NADAB'S
CHARACTER. 1Kgs. 15:26
He did evil in the eyes of the lord, walking in the ways of his father
and in his sin, which he had caused Israel to commit.
NADAB
ASSASSINATED. 1Kgs. 15:31,27
As for the other events of Nadab's reign, and
all he did, are they not written in the book of the annals of the kings of
Israel?
Baasha
son of Ahijah of the house of Issachar plotted against him, and he struck him
down at Gibbethon, a Philistine town, while Nadab and all Israel were besieging
it.
BAASHA
KING OF ISRAEL. 1Kgs. 15:28
Baasha killed Nadab in the third year of Asa
king of Judah and succeeded him as king.
JEROBOAM'S
FAMILY KILLED. 1Kgs. 15:29,30
As
soon as he began to reign, he killed Jeroboam's whole family. He did not leave
Jeroboam anyone that breathed, but destroyed them all, according to the word of
the lord given through his
servant Ahijah the Shilonite—because of the sins Jeroboam had committed and had
caused Israel to commit, and because he provoked the lord, the God of Israel, to anger.
BAASHA'S
CHARACTER. 1Kgs.15:33,34
In the third year of Asa king of Judah,
Baasha son of Ahijah became king of all Israel in Tirzah, and he reigned
twenty-four years. He did evil in the eyes of the lord, walking in the ways of Jeroboam and in his sin, which
he had caused Israel to commit.
JUDAH
REPELS ETHIOPIANS.
2 Chron. 14:9-15
Zerah the Cushite marched out against them
with a vast army' and three hundred chariots, and came as far as Mareshah. Asa
went out to meet him, and they took up battle positions in the Valley of
Zephathah near Mareshah.
Then
Asa called to the lord his God
and said, "lord, there is no
one like you to help the powerless against the mighty. Help us, O lord our God, for we rely on you, and
in your name we have come against this vast army. O lord, you are our God; do not let man prevail against
you."
The lord struck down the Cushites before
Asa and Judah. The Cushites fled, and Asa and his army pursued them as far as
Gerar. Such a great number of Cushites fell that they could not recover; they
were crushed before the lord and
his forces. The men of Judah carried off a large amount of plunder. They destroyed
all the villages around Gerar, for the terror of the lord had fallen upon them. They plundered all these villages,
since there was much booty there. They also attacked the camps of the herdsmen
and carried off droves of sheep and goats and camels. Then they returned to
Jerusalem.
The Spirit of God came upon Azariah son of Oded. He went out to meet Asa and said to him, "Listen to me, Asa and all Judah and Benjamin. The lord is with you when you are with him. If you seek him, he will be found by you, but if you forsake him, he will forsake you. For a long time Israel was without the true God, without a priest to teach and without the law. But in their distress they turned to the lord, the God of Israel, and sought him, and he was found by them. In those days it was not safe to travel about, for all the inhabitants of the lands were in great turmoil. One nation was being crushed by another and one city by another, because God was troubling them with every kind of distress. But as for you, be strong and do not give up, for your work will be rewarded."
ASA REFORMS JUDAH AGAIN. 2 Chron. 15:8,17,18 [1Kgs. 15:12,14,15 ]
When Asa heard these words and the prophecy of Azariah son of Oded the prophet, he took courage. He removed the detestable idols from the whole land of Judah and Benjamin and from the towns he had captured in the hills of Ephraim. He repaired the altar of the lord that was in front of the portico of the lord's temple. Although he did not remove the high places from Israel, Asa's heart was fully committed to the lord all his life. He brought into the temple of God the silver and gold and the articles that he and his father had dedicated.
There was no more war until the thirty-fifth year of Asa's reign.
Then he assembled all Judah and Benjamin and the people from Ephraim, Manasseh and Simeon who had settled among them, for large numbers had come over to him from Israel when they saw that the lord his God was with him.
They
assembled at Jerusalem in the third month of the fifteenth year of Asa's reign.
At that time they sacrificed to the lord
seven hundred head of cattle and seven thousand sheep and goats from the
plunder they had brought back. They entered into a covenant to seek the lord, the God of their fathers, with
all their heart and soul. All who would not seek the lord, the God of Israel, were to be put to death, whether
small or great, man or woman. They took an oath to the lord with loud acclamation, with shouting and with trumpets
and horns. All Judah rejoiced about the oath because they had sworn it
wholeheartedly. They sought God eagerly, and he was found by them. So the lord gave them rest on every side.
MOTHER REMOVED AS QUEEN. Chron. 15:16 [1Kgs. 15:13 2 ]
King
Asa also deposed his grandmother Maacah from her position as queen mother,
because she had made a repulsive Asherah pole. Asa cut the pole down, broke it
up and burned it in the Kidron Valley.
BAASHA THREATENS WAR. 1Kgs.15:16,17 [IKgs.15:32, 2 Chron.16:1]
There was war between Asa and Baasha king of
Israel throughout their reigns. Baasha king of Israel went up against Judah and
fortified Ramah to prevent anyone from leaving or entering the territory of Asa
king of Judah.
ASA
ENLISTS SYRIA'S AID.
1Kgs.15:18-21 [2 Chron.16:2-5]
Asa then took all the silver and gold that
was left in the treasuries of the lord's
temple and of his own palace. He entrusted it to his officials and sent
them to Ben-Hadad son of Tabrimmon, the son of Hezion, the king of Aram, who
was ruling in Damascus. "Let there be a treaty between me and you,"
he said, "as there was between my father and your father. See, I am
sending you a gift of silver and gold. Now break your treaty with Baasha king
of Israel so he will withdraw from me." Ben-Hadad agreed with King Asa and
sent the commanders of his forces against the towns of Israel. He conquered
Ijon, Dan, Abel Beth Maacah and all Kinnereth in addition to Naphtali. When
Baasha heard this, he stopped building Ramah and withdrew to Tirzah.
RAMAH DISMANTLED. 1Kgs.15:22 [ 2 Chron.16:6 ]
Then King Asa issued an order to all Judah--no one was exempt—and they carried away from Ramah the stones and timber Baasha had been using there. With them King Asa built up Geba in Benjamin, and also Mizpah.
HANANI REBUKES ASA. 2 Chron. 16:7-9
At that time Hanani the seer came to Asa king of Judah and said to him: "Because you relied on the king of Aram and not on the lord your God, the army of the king of Aram has escaped from your hand. Were not the Cushites" and Libyans a mighty army with great numbers of chariots and horsemen0? Yet when you relied on the lord, he delivered them into your hand. For the eyes of the lord range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him. You have done a foolish thing, and from now on you will be at war."
ASA
RESPONDS ANGRILY 2 Chron. 16:10.
Asa was
angry with the seer because of this; he was so enraged that he put him in
prison. At the same time Asa brutally oppressed some of the people.
Moreover, the word of the lord came through the prophet Jehu son of Hanani to Baasha and his house, because of all the evil he had done in the eyes of the lord, provoking him to anger by the things he did, and becoming like the house of Jeroboam—and also because he destroyed it. Then the word of the lord came to Jehu son of Hanani against Baasha: "I lifted you up from the dust and made you leader of my people Israel, but you walked in the ways of Jeroboam and caused my people Israel to sin and to provoke me to anger by their sins. So I am about to consume Baasha and his house, and I will make your house like that of Jeroboam son of Nebat. Dogs will eat those belonging to Baasha who die in the city, and the birds of the air will feed on those who die in the country."
As for the other events of Baasha's reign, what he did and his achievements, are they not written in the book of the annals of the kings of Israel? Baasha rested with his fathers and was buried in Tirzah.
ELAH KING
OF ISRAEL. 1Kgs. 16:6b,8,14
And Elah his son succeeded him as king.
In the twenty-sixth year of Asa king of Judah, Elah son of Baasha became king of Israel, and he reigned in Tirzah two years. As for the other events of Elah's reign, and all he did, are they not written in the book of the annals of the kings of Israel?
ELAH ASSASSINATED. 1Kgs. 16:9,10
Zimri, one of his officials, who had command of half his chariots, plotted against him. Elah was in Tirzah at the time, getting drunk in the home of Arza, the man in charge of the palace at Tirzah. Zimri came in, struck him down and killed him in the twenty-seventh year of Asa king of Judah. Then he succeeded him as king.
ZIMRI KING FOR WEEK. 1Kgs. 16:15a
In the twenty-seventh year of Asa king of Judah, Zimri reigned in Tirzah seven days.
BAASHA'S
FAMILY KILLED. 1Kgs. 16:11-13,20
As soon as he began to reign and was seated on the throne, he killed off Baasha's whole family. He did not spare a single male, whether relative or friend. So Zimri destroyed the whole family of Baasha, in accordance with the word of the lord spoken against Baasha through the prophet Jehu—because of all the sins Baasha and his son Elah had committed and had caused Israel to commit, so that they provoked the lord, the God of Israel, to anger by their worthless idols.
As for the other events of Zimri's reign, and the rebellion he carried out, are they not written in the book of the annals of the kings of Israel?
ZIMRI COMMITS SUICIDE. 1Kgs 16:15b-19
The army was encamped near Gibbethon, a Philistine town. When the Israelites in the camp heard that Zimri had plotted against the king and murdered him, they proclaimed Omri, the commander of the army, king over Israel that very day there in the camp. Then Omri and all the Israelites with him withdrew from Gibbethon and laid siege to Tirzah. When Zimri saw that the city was taken, he went into the citadel of the royal palace and set the palace on fire around him. So he died, because of the sins he had committed, doing evil in the eyes of the lord and walking in the ways of Jeroboam and in the sin he had committed and had caused Israel to commit.
OMRI AND TIBNI COMPETE. 1Kgs 16:21
Then the people of Israel were split into two factions; half supported Tibni son of Ginath for king, and the other half supported Omri.
OMRI ARRANGES MARRIAGE. 1Kgs 16:31a
He not only considered it trivial to commit the sins of Jeroboam son of Nebat, but he also married [his son, Ahab, to (?)] Jezebel daughter of Ethbaal king of the Sidonians...
OMRI GAINS FULL CONTROL. 1Kgs 16:22,23
But Omri's followers proved stronger than those of Tibni son of Ginath. So Tibni died and Omri became king.
In the
thirty-first year of Asa king of Judah, Omri became king of Israel, and he
reigned twelve years, six of them in Tirzah.
SAMARIA MADE CAPITAL. 1Kgs 16:24
He bought the hill of Samaria from Shemer for two talents? of silver and built a city on the hill, calling it Samaria, after Shemer, the name of the former owner of the hill.
OMRI'S CHARACTER. 1Kgs. 16:25,26
But Omri did evil in the eyes of the lord and sinned more than all those before him. He walked in all the ways of Jeroboam son of Nebat and in his sin, which he had caused Israel to commit, so that they provoked the lord, the God of Israel, to anger by their worthless idols.
OMRI DIES. 1Kgs 16:27,28a
As for
the other events of Omri's reign, what he did and the things he achieved, are
they not written in the book of the annals of the kings of Israel? Omri rested
with his fathers and was buried in Samaria.
ARAB
KING OF ISRAEL. 1Kgs 16:28b,29
And Ahab his son succeeded him as king.
In the
thirty-eighth year of Asa king of Judah, Ahab son of Omri became king of
Israel, and he reigned in Samaria over Israel twenty-two years.
AHAB
WORST KING. 1Kgs 21:25,26 , 16:31b-33
(There
was never a man like Ahab, who sold himself to do evil in the eyes of the lord, urged on by Jezebel his wife. He
behaved in the vilest manner by going after idols, like the Amorites the lord drove out before Israel.) [Ahab]
began to serve Baal and worship him. He set up an altar for Baal in the temple
of Baal that he built in Samaria. Ahab also made an Asherah pole and did more
to provoke the lord, the God of
Israel, to anger than did all the kings of Israel before him.
JERICHO
REBUILT. IKgs.16:34
In
Ahab's time, Hiel of Bethel rebuilt Jericho. He laid its foundations at the
cost of his firstborn son Abiram, and he set up its gates at the cost of his
youngest son Segub, in accordance with the word of the lord spoken by Joshua son of Nun.
ASA'S
DISEASED FEET. 2 Chron. 16:12 [1Kgs. 15:23b ]
In the
thirty-ninth year of his reign Asa was afflicted with a disease in his feet
Though his disease was severe, even in his illness he did not seek help from
the lord, but only from the
physicians.
DEATH
OF ASA. 2 Chron.
16:11-14 [1Kgs. 15:23a 24a ]
The
events of Asa's reign, from beginning to end, are written in the book of the
kings of Judah and Israel. Then in the forty-first year of his reign Asa died
and rested with his fathers. They buried him in the tomb that he had cut out
for himself in the City of David. They laid him on a bier covered with spices
and various blended perfumes, and they made a huge fire in his honor.
JEHOSHAPHAT
KING OF JUDAH. 1Kgs.
15:24b 22:41,42 [2 Chron.
17:1; 20:31]
And Jehoshaphat his son succeeded him as
king.
Jehoshaphat
son of Asa became king of Judah in the fourth year of Ahab king of Israel.
Jehoshaphat was thirty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned in
Jerusalem twenty-five years. His mother's name was Azubah daughter of Shilhi.
CHARACTER
OF JEHOSHAPHAT. 1Kgs.
22:43,46,47 , 2 Chron. 20:32,33
He walked in the ways of his father Asa and
did not stray from them; he did what was right in the eyes of the lord. KsHe rid the land of
the rest of the male shrine prostitutes who remained there even after the reign
of his father Asa. There was then no king in Edom; a deputy ruled. chThe
high places, however, were not removed, and the people still had not set their
hearts on the God of their fathers.
JUDAH
PROSPERS. 2 Chron.
17:2-6
He
stationed troops in all the fortified cities of Judah and put garrisons in
Judah and in the towns of Ephraim that his father Asa had captured.
The lord was with Jehoshaphat because in
his early years he walked in the ways his father David had followed. He did not
consult the Baals but sought the God of his father and followed his commands
rather than the practices of Israel. The lord
established the kingdom under his control; and all Judah brought gifts
to Jehoshaphat, so that he had great wealth and honor. His heart was devoted to
the ways of the lord; furthermore,
he removed the high places and the Asherah poles from Judah.
LAW TAUGHT IN IUDAH. 2 Chron. 17:7-9
In the third year of his reign he sent his officials Ben-Hail, Obadiah, Zechariah, Nethanel and Micaiah to teach in the towns of Judah. With them were certain Levites—Shemaiah, Nethaniah, Zebadiah, Asahel, Shemiramoth, Jehonathan, Adonijah, Tobijah and Tob-Adonijah—and the priests Elishama and Jehoram. They taught throughout Judah, taking with them the Book of the Law of the lord; they went around to all the towns of Judah and taught the people.
JEHOSHAPHAT
BECOMES WEALTHY. 2 Chron.17:10-13a;18:la
The fear of the lord fell on all the kingdoms of the lands surrounding Judah, so that they did not make war with Jehoshaphat. Some Philistines brought Jehoshaphat gifts and silver as tribute, and the Arabs brought him flocks: seven thousand seven hundred rams and seven thousand seven hundred goats.
Jehoshaphat became more and more powerful; he built forts and store cities in Judah and had large supplies in the towns of Judah. Now Jehoshaphat had great wealth and honor...
STRONG MILITARY POWER. 2 Chron. 17:13b-19
He also kept experienced fighting men in Jerusalem. Their enrollment by families was as follows:
From Judah, commanders of units of 1,000:
Adnah the commander, with 300,000 fighting men;
next, Jehohanan the commander, with 280,000;
next, Amasiah son of Zicri, who volunteered himself for the service of
the lord, with 200,000. From Benjamin:
Eliada, a valiant soldier, with 200,000 men armed with bows and
shields; next, Jehozabad, with 180,000 men armed for battle.
These were the men who served the king, besides those he stationed in the fortified cities throughout Judah.
TREATY
WITH AHAB. 1 Kgs. 22:44 [2 chron 18:b]
Jehoshaphat was also at peace with the king of Israel.